One popular mechanism for attaching a lampshade to a lamp is to use a light-bulb clip that clips directly to the light bulb of the lamp. Typically, a light-bulb-clip is formed by a pair of heavy wire loops that are permanently attached to the lampshade and are able to extend around a light bulb on opposing sides and press toward each other, trapping the light bulb in-between. This approach is used to support lampshades with a variety of weights and sizes, as well as lampshades that include decorative materials such as glass or ceramic, and/or decorative shaping such as pleated cloth. However, for many large and/or heavy lampshades, if the light-bulb-clip does not grip the light bulb with sufficient friction, the size and/or weight of the lampshade can cause it to tip out of alignment, for example when the lampshade is accidentally bumped, or when a table on which the lamp is standing is accidentally bumped.
Most large and heavy lampshades are so-called “finial” lampshades, in that they do not attach to a light bulb, but are supported instead by a separate harp-frame structure that is directly attached to the lamp. Sometimes, it is desirable to use a so-called “finial” lampshade with a lamp that is intended for use with a clip-on lampshade. In such cases, the finial lampshade can be adapted for clip-on use by a so-called finial clip-on lampshade adaptor, which includes a light-bulb-clip at one end and a finial attachment mount at the other end. However, if the finial lampshade is too large and/or too heavy, lack of sufficient frictional grip of the light-bulb clip of the finial clip-on lampshade adaptor can prevent the successful adaptation of the finial lampshade for clip-on use.
So as to improve the energy efficiency of lamps, and thereby reduce cost and minimize impact on the environment, it is often desirable to replace conventional incandescent light bulbs in lamps with so-called compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs that are approximately the same size as conventional incandescent light bulbs but last significantly longer than traditional incandescent bulbs while consuming less energy, and can therefore be directly substituted for conventional bulbs. However, while the general size of a replacement fluorescent light bulb is usually similar to a conventional light bulb, the shape of a replacement fluorescent bulb is typically quite different.
A conventional light bulb typically has a rounded, pear-shape, while the most common CFL bulbs typically consist of long, gas-filled tubes that have been coiled into a spiral shape. For this reason, a light-bulb-clip that is configured for firm attachment to a conventional light bulb will often not attach to a replacement fluorescent light bulb securely enough to maintain the lampshade in position, and may consequently allow the lampshade to tip and/or fall off, possibly damaging the lampshade and/or the lamp.